12 critically injured in Mexico plane crash

An Aeromexico plane carrying 101 people on board crashed minutes after taking off. At least 12 of the 85 persons injured are said to be critical, an official said.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the airport in Durango city. Confusion still persists on any fatalities, as well as regarding the number of injured, Efe news reported.

Emergency and security teams were at the crash site -- a vacant and arid area near Guadalupe Victoria Airport.

The latest figures were provided by the spokesman for the Durango state Health Secretariat, Fernando Ros. He told the media that 18 have been hospitalised of whom 12 are critical.

Durango Governor Jose Aispuro ruled out any fatalities on Twitter.

However, Mexican Communications and Transportation Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told reporters that he could only confirm 52 people to have survived the crash.

The aircraft, an Embraer 190, that was carrying 97 passengers and a crew of four, went down around 3.20 p.m., shortly after taking off on a flight to Mexico City, the Durango state government said.

The North-Central Airport Group (OMA), the agency that operates the airport, blamed poor weather conditions for the crash.

"It was raining, there was a storm. I think they wanted to abort, but were not able to fall on the runway. It fell farther ahead where the paved runway ends and that caused the fire that seriously damaged the plane," Aispuro said.

The airport has been closed while officials attend to the wreckage.

--IANS

ahm-in/